By Andrew Gans
19 Nov 2004
Q: I don't know too much about your background. Where were you raised?
Judy: I was raised in Pennsylvania, near Scranton, not too far from here. I went to school as a classical music major, a classical singer. I met an incredible man when I came here, Bill Schuman, who taught me to belt from scratch. I was here, and I was only classically trained. I knew during my junior and senior year of college that I wanted something else and started doing summer stock. I knew I had more to sing — I knew there was something else there and didn't really know how to facilitate that. I went to Bill Schuman, and I wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for Bill. He really taught me how to do it. And it's ironic that I now am known more as a belter. You have three women in the show — Liz, Carolee and myself — and you're known as the three belters. I still have my soprano chops that I keep up, but Bill taught me how to [belt].
Q: Are you involved in any other workshops or projects?
Judy: I'm putting together a cabaret called Endangered Species, which I did down at Signature last year.
Q: Where would you want to perform that?
Judy: Probably somewhere here in the city eventually. Michael Heitzman, who is a dear friend of mine — he wrote some songs for Swing! and has his own shows Vices and Bingo that are being produced — is helping me co-write it. I'm hoping to get that off the ground eventually.
Q: Will that feature original music . . .
Judy: Some original, some arrangements of things. And, I'm also working on doing some [other] cabaret [projects]. I'm doing a cabaret out at the Manor in March, which is a whole different kind of cabaret. I'm trying to keep things in the fire.
Judy: The symphony work — I've been doing that the last nine years — it's a whole other animal. I had to really get used to it. Each song has to be its own character, instead of finding a through-line within a whole piece. It's a ball to get up and sing in front of a full orchestra . . . The cabaret thing — I did my first one down at Signature. Eric Schaffer called me and said, "We have this opening down here. Would you come and do a cabaret?" I said, "Well, Eric, I don't have a cabaret act." [Laughs.] So, I whipped this thing together and found that I just loved it. I could be myself, tell stories and banter back and forth with the audience, which was really fun, so it might be something I'll explore while I'm doing Mamma Mia!. It's funny, I feel like I've been given a gift, and that gift is to sing. And so the more I can facilitate and do that, the better.
Q: Do you have any vocal regimens — how do you protect your voice?
Judy: A lot of water [laughs]. . . but Bill really taught me an incredible technique, and I actually teach as well. I've been teaching for nine years, so I feel like I'm grounded in a really good solid technique. There's rarely a time where I feel like I'm fatigued from bad singing. [If anything], it's just fatigue itself. I think technique is so important. I stress that with my students, and Bill has always stressed that. I don't go to him all the time now, but if I have a project I'll go, and he works it with me. But I think that's the thing that's helped me get through the Evitas and the La Manchas, there's a technique to rely on.
Q: With Evita, you definitely need that . . .
Judy: You certainly do! [Laughs.] I remember when I was learning that score years ago and listening to Patti [LuPone], who's phenomenal, and I remember thinking after I sang it, after I think my second production, I thought, "Now I can sing anything!"
THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS
Two Broadway favorites, 42nd Street's Beth Leavel and Mamma Mia!'s Harriett D. Foy, are currently part of the cast of the new musical Lone Star Love, playing Off-Broadway's John Houseman Theatre through Jan. 9, 2005. Since Thanksgiving is less than a week away, I thought it would be a good time to see what these two talented gals have planned for the holiday and what they are thankful for this year.
Leavel, who plays Aggie Ford in the musical inspired by The Merry Wives of Windsor, said, "I am thankful this year, and always, for my wonderful husband and two sons. They fill my heart with joy and love. I am always thankful for my dear friends who give of themselves unconditionally and for my parents who turned 87 this year! God bless them. Since we are in the middle of previews for Lone Star Love, and we only have Thanksgiving off, my boys and I will set our best table and share our holiday together — and start playing our Christmas music!"
Foy, who portrays Miss Quickly, said, "I am thankful for my loving family — they never miss an opening night — and the fact that I still have my grandparents, who are both 84 this year, and married 62 years this year. I am thankful for the most supportive and wonderful friends in the universe. I am most thankful to God that I get to do what I love every night when I go on stage and that maybe I'm helping someone forget their troubles for a couple of hours. I am truly thankful for a good life and fun career. Who could ask for anything more?" As for this Thanksgiving, Foy said, "I will definitely be in town because Lone Star Love is in previews. I may cook a little something, something for my Mom and a few of my friends, and then take a big fat nap!"
DIVA TIDBITS
Theatre and television stars Jane Krakowski and Megan Mullally have joined the star-studded line-up for Lincoln Center's American Songbook season. Krakowski, a Tony Award winner for her performance in the revival of Maury Yeston's Nine, will make her solo concert debut Feb. 1, 2005, at the Allen Room in Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Time Warner Center. Mullally, of TV's "Will & Grace," will also perform at the Allen Room on Feb. 11. The singer-actress will be accompanied by her band, the Supreme Music Program. Also new to the Songbook line-up is singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb, who will play the Allen Room Feb. 3. Tickets for the concerts are available at the Alice Tully Hall box office (Broadway and 65th Street), by calling (212) 721-6500 or by visiting www.lincolncenter.org.
A Dancer's Life is the title of the eagerly awaited one-woman show from Broadway veteran Chita Rivera. Rivera's agent told me earlier this week that Graciela Daniele — of Once on This Island and Ragtime fame — will direct and choreograph the production, which boasts a book by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally. A Dancer's Life will feature back-up dancers and a full orchestra and will likely bow at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles this summer. Stops are also expected in Boston, Chicago, Washington and, ultimately, New York. And, as previously announced, Rivera is scheduled to play Feinstein's at the Regency Feb. 22-March 12, 2005.
Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.
(Look for a condensed version of "Diva Talk" in the theatre edition of Playbill Magazine.)
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| Lone Star Love's Beth Leavel (left) and Harriett D. Foy (right)
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